This invention relates to cable protection from rodents and, more particularly, the invention is concerned with providing a protective sheath for completely encircling and covering a buried fibre optic cable to prevent damage caused by chewing and/or gnawing rodents. A plastic jacket with outward radially extending spikes is used to cover the cable so that rodents will be discouraged from causing damage to the cable if it obstructs their path.
Heretofore, the most often used solution to prevent damage to a fibre optic cable communication system was to encase the fibre bundle in a metal jacket, usually steel. This jacket prevents the rodents from reaching the inner fibre optic cable. However, the solution adds significantly to the cost of manufacturing the cable as well as adding to the installation costs for the cable. The metal jacket required grounding in order to handle any potential Electro Magnetic Pulse (EMP) problems and to provide personnel safety from possible shocks if the metal shield contacts an electrical source. Thus, the metal jacket lessens one of the advantages of the fibre optic cable communication system for military and commercial usage while at the same time increasing the manufacturing, material and installation costs as well as compromising the fibre optic cable system itself.